Gustard X26Pro Review (Balanced High-end DAC)

[gvl]

You mention "Slow" Filter??.......... when there is only Vivid, Gentle and Composite.

Slow as in slow roll-off, it's the Composite filter in Wolf's measurements same as the one Amir was stuck with.

Edit: turns out Amir's unit runs botched firmware which has yet another type of filter that's different from the Composite, see below...

 

[gustard]

Hi friends

There are indeed three types of digital filter adjustments for X26PRO.
One of the prerequisites for it to work is that the “NOS” option should be “OFF”

 

[gvl]

The filter response shown here doesn't look like NOS at all.

I looked at Wolf's measurements one more time and the Composite filter is sharper there than what Amir saw. So perhaps NOS here is not true NOS.

 

[Francis Vaughan]

Maybe one of the very very few devices where the moniker "Pro" in the name actually mean something?

"Pro" is a marketing designation that really annoys me. Manufactures use it as an otherwise meaningless designator of goodness. Pro means professional, as in it is something that is used by someone making a living with the device. The chances this DAC will end up being used by a professional in a professional environment are vanishingly small. Maybe it might, and a tiny few instances will have the external clock used as it is intended. There are plenty of real life DACs made for professional use that have an external clock input. But professionals will stick to the brands they know, and will usually be looking for rack mount and system integration.

I remember when Tag-Heur used to market a whole range of "professional" watches. I guess maybe somewhere in the world some poor soul was locked in a room intently reading their watch and reading out "at the first stroke it will be ten fifty one and ten seconds..." Other than that is is pretty hard to make a case for professional use. (They were of course trying to make out that professional divers would use their watches, just as back in the day a whole range of watches were made for pilots. This is fantasy, and has been for many decades. Then you get high end watches with helium release values. Who are they kidding?)

Topping is of course one of the worst offenders with the use of "Pro". It is almost impossible to work out what a product of theirs is by its model name. Again, the possibility that any of their, otherwise excellent, products is actually of value in a true professional environment is close to zero.

Computer gaming graphics cards are another pet hate.

Really guys, will you all just knock it off? Please? It is getting old.

 

[gustard]

Hi friends

After a series of reviews, we have reproduced the reason for this situation.
The USB firmware of this machine (referring to the one measured by AMIRM) is matched with the wrong version. This phenomenon only exists in the USB interface.

SPDIF and other inputs are not affected, digital filter switching can be performed well on it

 

[JohnYang1997]

"Pro" is a marketing designation that really annoys me. Manufactures use it as an otherwise meaningless designator of goodness. Pro means professional, as in it is something that is used by someone making a living with the device. The chances this DAC will end up being used by a professional in a professional environment are vanishingly small. Maybe it might, and a tiny few instances will have the external clock used as it is intended. There are plenty of real life DACs made for professional use that have an external clock input. But professionals will stick to the brands they know, and will usually be looking for rack mount and system integration.

I remember when Tag-Heur used to market a whole range of "professional" watches. I guess maybe somewhere in the world some poor soul was locked in a room intently reading their watch and reading out "at the first stroke it will be ten fifty one and ten seconds..." Other than that is is pretty hard to make a case for professional use. (They were of course trying to make out that professional divers would use their watches, just as back in the day a whole range of watches were made for pilots. This is fantasy, and has been for many decades. Then you get high end watches with helium release values. Who are they kidding?)

Topping is of course one of the worst offenders with the use of "Pro". It is almost impossible to work out what a product of theirs is by its model name. Again, the possibility that any of their, otherwise excellent, products is actually of value in a true professional environment is close to zero.

Computer gaming graphics cards are another pet hate.

Really guys, will you all just knock it off? Please? It is getting old.

Pro in the product name simply means upgraded instead of Professional. Where is the Pro thing coming from? Apple?

 

[amirm]

As an owner of the X26Pro though I do have a question.
You mention "Slow" Filter??.......... when there is only Vivid, Gentle and Composite.

I call filters slow when they don't truncate quickly at 22.05 kHz. I did not mean to say that is the formal name for it.

 

[restorer-john]

Pro in the product name simply means upgraded instead of Professional.

It's always been short for professional. Pro gear was rack mount 19", tough as nails, carpet covered speakers with metal corners, microphone cable so strong you could swing from it etc.

Back in the day, HiFi makers made faux professional looking gear with rack handles, 19" eye mounts, even home bolt-in racks. Akai, Technics, Pioneer and Sony all did it. People thought it made their gear look more serious and strong.

It's been so overdone it is absolutely meaningless now. Just like "Reference", "Studio", "Monitor" and others.

 

[gustard]

We are actively contacting amirm, ready to send him the correct firmware



This phenomenon is rare. Of course, we will also release firmware. It can be updated when needed

 

[JohnYang1997]

It's always been short for professional. Pro gear was rack mount 19", tough as nails, carpet covered speakers with metal corners, microphone cable so strong you could swing from it etc.

Back in the day, HiFi makers made faux professional look gear with rack handles, 19" eye mounts, even home bolt-in racks. Akai, Technics, Pioneer and Sony all did it. People thought it made their gear look more serious and strong.

It's been so overdone it is absolutely meaningless now. Just like "Reference", "Studio" and others.

Examples in the product names?
The market has already accepted Pro as being the better bigger more serious model.

 

[Francis Vaughan]

Pro in the product name simply means upgraded instead of Professional. Where is the Pro thing coming from? Apple?

Then why use the word "Pro"? Someone decided that was the right word to use. It is clearly marketing. You don't mean professional, you mean upgraded, but you use the word "Pro." There is no justification for this. That is my entire complaint. It is a misuse of the language and stupid. Saying it means "upgraded" is just post-hoc rationalisation.

Apple are also somewhat annoying, although there is some justification for the use of word Pro on those products that have it - those products do have aspects of their design that are by intent useful for professional users, and are actually sought out and used by those professional users. Colour gamut and screen calibration for one, minimal ability for a defined set of professional tasks is another. Sure, many users that are not domain professionals buy them, but if you look at the reviews in professional forums of Apple's Pro offerings, they are very much focussed on these attributes, and there is an expectation in professional arenas that a Pro offering from Apple will meet certain non-consumer computer features. Obviously Apple lean of the Pro moniker is a similarly annoying manner, but there is at least a small amount of justification. And they don't use the word Pro to mean upgraded.

 

[MBL'er]

我们正在积极联系amirm，准备把正确的固件发给他

这种现象是少数情况。当然，我们也会发布固件。它可以在需要时更新

By Google:

We are actively contacting amirm, ready to send him the correct firmware

This phenomenon is rare. Of course, we will also release firmware. It can be updated when needed

 

[JohnYang1997]

Then why use the word "Pro"? Someone decided that was the right word to use. It is clearly marketing. You don't mean professional, you mean upgraded, but you use the word "Pro." There is no justification for this. That is my entire complaint. It is a misuse of the language and stupid. Saying it means "upgraded" is just post-hoc rationalisation.

Apple are also somewhat annoying, although there is some justification for the use of word Pro on those products that have it - those products do have aspects of their design that are by intent useful for professional users, and are actually sought out and used by those professional users. Colour gamut and screen calibration for one, minimal ability for a defined set of professional tasks is another. Sure, many users that are not domain professionals buy them, but if you look at the reviews in professional forums of Apple's Pro offerings, they are very much focussed on these attributes, and there is an expectation in professional arenas that a Pro offering from Apple will meet certain non-consumer computer features. Obviously Apple lean of the Pro moniker is a similarly annoying manner, but there is at least a small amount of justification. And they don't use the word Pro to mean upgraded.

We obviously didn't invent the use as you know.
On apple's usage of Pro has mostly been something bigger, better, more serious.

And sure I have thought about this long time ago as someone brought up. And there are other things to identify upgraded version. Like Abyss 1266 'Phi', Ether 'Flow', and of course putting S or plus/+ in the end is already in use and very common.

 

[linger63]

Then why use the word "Pro"? Someone decided that was the right word to use. It is clearly marketing. You don't mean professional, you mean upgraded, but you use the word "Pro." There is no justification for this. That is my entire complaint. It is a misuse of the language and stupid. Saying it means "upgraded" is just post-hoc rationalisation.

Apple are also somewhat annoying, although there is some justification for the use of word Pro on those products that have it - those products do have aspects of their design that are by intent useful for professional users, and are actually sought out and used by those professional users. Colour gamut and screen calibration for one, minimal ability for a defined set of professional tasks is another. Sure, many users that are not domain professionals buy them, but if you look at the reviews in professional forums of Apple's Pro offerings, they are very much focussed on these attributes, and there is an expectation in professional arenas that a Pro offering from Apple will meet certain non-consumer computer features. Obviously Apple lean of the Pro moniker is a similarly annoying manner, but there is at least a small amount of justification. And they don't use the word Pro to mean upgraded.

I think in this case as there already was an X26 Model Gustard maybe thought that adding Pro was a good way to show it was a new updated version

 

[PeteL]

"Pro" is a marketing designation that really annoys me. Manufactures use it as an otherwise meaningless designator of goodness. Pro means professional, as in it is something that is used by someone making a living with the device. The chances this DAC will end up being used by a professional in a professional environment are vanishingly small. Maybe it might, and a tiny few instances will have the external clock used as it is intended. There are plenty of real life DACs made for professional use that have an external clock input. But professionals will stick to the brands they know, and will usually be looking for rack mount and system integration.

I remember when Tag-Heur used to market a whole range of "professional" watches. I guess maybe somewhere in the world some poor soul was locked in a room intently reading their watch and reading out "at the first stroke it will be ten fifty one and ten seconds..." Other than that is is pretty hard to make a case for professional use. (They were of course trying to make out that professional divers would use their watches, just as back in the day a whole range of watches were made for pilots. This is fantasy, and has been for many decades. Then you get high end watches with helium release values. Who are they kidding?)

Topping is of course one of the worst offenders with the use of "Pro". It is almost impossible to work out what a product of theirs is by its model name. Again, the possibility that any of their, otherwise excellent, products is actually of value in a true professional environment is close to zero.

Computer gaming graphics cards are another pet hate.

Really guys, will you all just knock it off? Please? It is getting old.

Yeah I guess it's a tough one, on the other end of the spectrum, sometimes... Pro only means having rackmount wings, and a rugged LOOK, and pros will use it.... A good product is a good product, and the consumer side start to notice the benefit of things like XLR connections, so really, I agree with all you say but lines are blurred, In the end it's just marketing, but yeah, if you are not trying to get in the pro ecosystem, why don't call it something else? when did pro became synonym of "better"?

 

[gvl]

I think in this case as there already was an X26 Model Gustard maybe thought that adding Pro was a good way to show it was a new updated version

How about X26+? X26 mk2?

 

[restorer-john]

The market has already accepted Pro as being the better bigger more serious model.

Actually, the usage of the term "Pro" can mean completely the opposite and that was the case for many years. A "pro" (Professional) version was often stripped of the unnecessary frills, finishes, and extras as it was designed as a workhorse product, not the bells and whistles version.

Here's an example from arguably the most respected HiFi brand in the world:

An Accuphase domestic version would weigh over twice the weight of this 27.5kg, would probably cost 5 times as much and have beautiful gold trimings, power meters and casework to die for.

 

[Francis Vaughan]

The market has already accepted Pro as being the better bigger more serious model.

I though you said it meant upgraded. Now it means the bigger, better more serious. In what sense is the DX3-Pro the bigger better more serious model? Is there a DX3 that is smaller, worse and not as serious? Indeed was there ever a DX3 that the Pro version is an upgrade to? The answer is that Topping does not use Pro in either meaning claimed. It is just marketing noise.

Marketing might think that is what Pro means, not the market. It is just an idiotic misuse of language. I would have to say that asserting that the market accepts this as the meaning of the term is just naive. Most people regard the word as noise and ignore it.

 

[linger63]

How about X26+? X26 mk2?

Or SE like Topping.....LOL

 

[JohnYang1997]

Actually, the usage of the term "Pro" can mean completely the opposite and that was the case for many years. A "pro" (Professional) version was often stripped of the unnecessary frills, finishes, and extras as it was designed as a workhorse product, not the bells and whistles version.

Sure. But it's about conveying the message.
To us and perhaps to many, V2 means fixed issue version, Plus means small refresh, S means small upgrade with same or similar look, Pro means bigger better upgrade. What better way do I convey the message as some big upgrade?